Sunday, January 17, 2010

An another great place is at Sariwangi that you should try for dinner, quite a contrast from the upscale Congo Café. Popular to the locals in the area, Sariwangi is an old warung where one squats on either side of one of Bandung’s narrower streets: one side is just a few meters away from passing cars and motorbikes; while the other is overwhelmed by a large grill a few feet away from the dining tables. Despite the discomforting ambience, Sariwangi is always a joy to visit, which explains why it is difficult to get a table or parking in the area as many people literally wait in eagerly in the streets to eat there. The main staple is Ayam Bakar, Indonesian-style grilled chicken, mashed potatos and tempe with spicy sambal sauce and kecap manis, or sweet soy sauce. It’s comforting to know that food as good as this doesn’t change if you had ever visit more than one times. The revelation for many people is the sayur asem, the Indonesian version of our sinigang comprised mainly of corn, kaffir leaves, nuts, string beans, and chili. Even more thrilling is that the entire meal for the party of eight—with multiple servings of rice, chicken, tempe and potatos—cost only a little over one hundred thousand Indonesian rupiahs.